De-fuzz tomato seeds for long-term storage?

**Mischka** · January 31, 2006

This is a new one on me.

On the top of each page in the 06 Abundant Life Seed catalog, they placed clever little tips for the home gardener. Very thoughtful.

Page 36 reads "De-fuzz tomato seeds for long-term storage."

I know commercial seed producers have a way to de-fuzz their seeds, but I was always under the impression they did this so that the seeds would pass through their counting and packaging machines without sticking to one another.

So, does leaving the fuzz on our home saved seeds shorten their viability timespan?

How would a home gardener remove the fuzz?

I read a recent GW post where someone asked what varieties have fuzzy seeds...no mention of losing viability over time in the followup posts.

I've been saving seed for 7 years now; I heat seal them in foil-barrier packets after adding a desiccant capsule in with them.

Perhaps someone here might know more about this?

- Mischka

**carolyn137** · January 31, 2006

Mischka,

I've still got seeds that I produced in 1990 and I've never defuzzed a seed and viability holds up quite well.

One way a home gardener could defuzz them, although I can't see the need, is to treat with TSP ( trisodium phosphate) It tends to turn the seeds a darker color and TSP treatment is routinely used by large commercial seed producers, often after fermentation, but I never recommend its use by home gardeners b'c of the caustic nature of TSP.

Carolyn

**nctomatoman** · January 31, 2006

I like fuzzy seeds! For whatever reason, those sad little shiny nuggets that Stokes tends to send are kind of pathetic looking! My fuzzy seeds keep very well.

bully · January 31, 2006

Hmmm.. I wonder what they do with all that fuzz.

make a great pillow, don't you think?

sweet tomato dreams

barkeater · February 2, 2006

Oops

. I thought I put in some of those emoticon things. I was trying to use them to make a joke out of the evils

of fuzzy

seeds

Sure didn't work without them.

Hope they are there in this post.

Tomstrees · February 2, 2006

I would think the better you store them - the longer they would last - Out of all my trades in the off season ( sounds like sports, lol ) I only got 2 apcks of seeds that were "de-fuzzed" ~ I guess we'll see in spring ... oh and also ... that Groundhog needs to relax, hang out, and stop being so darn afraid !! lol , we need spring !!! ~ Tom

**nctomatoman** · February 2, 2006

Gee, you two - was just about to use my POWER as one of the honchos for the first time and make some posts go poof....now you go and play nice.....

go on, make my day....

**Mischka** · February 2, 2006

Barkeater was trying to be funny using the smilie emoticons and meant no offense. It looked way off from the humor that was intended (he didn't know that smilies show up as ascii characters and not images in the compose post window) and he didn't know that he could edit posts here rather than have to post a follow-up.

So....after seeing his original post and the followup, I removed the original one and PM'ed him to teach him how to edit posts after you post them.

group hug...big misunderstanding. Blame the learning curve of how to use BBCode and emoticons :wink:

January 31, 2006	#1
Mischka Tomatoville® Administrator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: The Bay State Posts: 3,207	De-fuzz tomato seeds for long-term storage? This is a new one on me. On the top of each page in the 06 Abundant Life Seed catalog, they placed clever little tips for the home gardener. Very thoughtful. Page 36 reads "De-fuzz tomato seeds for long-term storage." I know commercial seed producers have a way to de-fuzz their seeds, but I was always under the impression they did this so that the seeds would pass through their counting and packaging machines without sticking to one another. So, does leaving the fuzz on our home saved seeds shorten their viability timespan? How would a home gardener remove the fuzz? I read a recent GW post where someone asked what varieties have fuzzy seeds...no mention of losing viability over time in the followup posts. I've been saving seed for 7 years now; I heat seal them in foil-barrier packets after adding a desiccant capsule in with them. Perhaps someone here might know more about this? - Mischka

January 31, 2006	#3
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	I like fuzzy seeds! For whatever reason, those sad little shiny nuggets that Stokes tends to send are kind of pathetic looking! My fuzzy seeds keep very well. __________________ Craig

February 2, 2006	#7
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	Gee, you two - was just about to use my POWER as one of the honchos for the first time and make some posts go poof....now you go and play nice..... go on, make my day.... __________________ Craig

February 2, 2006	#8
Mischka Tomatoville® Administrator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: The Bay State Posts: 3,207	Just a typo Barkeater was trying to be funny using the smilie emoticons and meant no offense. It looked way off from the humor that was intended (he didn't know that smilies show up as ascii characters and not images in the compose post window) and he didn't know that he could edit posts here rather than have to post a follow-up. So....after seeing his original post and the followup, I removed the original one and PM'ed him to teach him how to edit posts after you post them. group hug...big misunderstanding. Blame the learning curve of how to use BBCode and emoticons :wink: __________________ Mischka One last word of farewell, Dear Master and Mistress. Whenever you visit my grave, say to yourselves with regret but also with happiness in your hearts at the remembrance of my long happy life with you: "Here lies one who loved us and whom we loved." No matter how deep my sleep I shall hear you, and not all the power of death can keep my spirit from wagging a grateful tail.

January 31, 2006	#2
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Mischka, I've still got seeds that I produced in 1990 and I've never defuzzed a seed and viability holds up quite well. One way a home gardener could defuzz them, although I can't see the need, is to treat with TSP ( trisodium phosphate) It tends to turn the seeds a darker color and TSP treatment is routinely used by large commercial seed producers, often after fermentation, but I never recommend its use by home gardeners b'c of the caustic nature of TSP. Carolyn

January 31, 2006	#4
bully Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: S.E. MI Posts: 794	Hmmm.. I wonder what they do with all that fuzz. make a great pillow, don't you think? sweet tomato dreams

February 2, 2006	#5
barkeater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NE Kingdom, VT - Zone 3b Posts: 1,439	Oops . I thought I put in some of those emoticon things. I was trying to use them to make a joke out of the evils of fuzzy seeds Sure didn't work without them. Hope they are there in this post.

February 2, 2006	#6
Tomstrees Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NJ Bayshore Posts: 3,848	I would think the better you store them - the longer they would last - Out of all my trades in the off season ( sounds like sports, lol ) I only got 2 apcks of seeds that were "de-fuzzed" ~ I guess we'll see in spring ... oh and also ... that Groundhog needs to relax, hang out, and stop being so darn afraid !! lol , we need spring !!! ~ Tom